3 KILLED, 3 NABBED IN NUEVA ECIJA BUY- BUST
CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija: Three suspected pushers were killed while three others were arrested in separate incidents in Nueva Ecija on Friday as the government’s drug war continue to rage here and elsewhere in the country. In Cabanatuan City, the slain drug dealers were identified by police chief, Supt. Ponciano Zafra, as Benjo Santiago, of Barangay DS Garcia and Randy Magtalas, of Barangay Barrera. Zafra said they received information that Magtalas, alias Randy Mekaniko, was into illicit trade in the area prompting them to conduct a buy-bust. But Magtalas sensed that he was dealing with an operative and pulled out a caliber .38 revolver and fired at the lawman triggering a shoot out. In Talavera, police chief, Supt. Joe Neil Rojo reported that one Marvin Magtalas (not related to Cabanatuan slain suspect), 19, of Barangay Matias, died after a brief gunfight with the operatives. Chief Insp. Noel Cruz, operations team leader, said they conducted a buy-bust in Barangay Esguera against Magtalas who opened fire at the operatives upon arrival at the appointed place. In separate operation in Barangay Munti, lawmen arrested Melvin Pascual, 32, of Barangay La Torre; spouses Leover Santiago, 39, and Ronalyn Abayon Santiago, 29, both of Barangay Aduas Sur, all in Cabanatuan City. Seized from the suspects were four boxes of Nuvain, five vials of Nabin or Nalbuphine – allegedly high-inducing medicine brands; syringes and other medical paraphernalia. Senior Supt. Eliseo Tanding, Nueva Ecija provincial police director, repeated his warning to drug dealers and users to stop their illicit activities or surrender and undergo rehabilitation at the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City or face the full force of the law.
52 LA UNION POLICEWOMEN FIELDED AS BIKE PATROLLERS
CAMP DIEGO SILANG, La Union: Newly-appointed La Union Police Provincial Office director, Supt. Genaro Sapiera, led the graduation and ceremonial take-off of 52 policewomen bike patrollers from the different units and police stations in the province on Friday. Chief Insp. Silverio Ordinado, police information officer, said the 10-day bicycle patrol training course was the first “all- women lady bikers’ course in Region 1, including a three- Day Tourist Oriented Police for Community and Protection Training. Ordinado said this is aimed to augment more police visibility and crime-watching, starting in the communities lacking of village.
MAN POSING AS CIDG AGENT NABBED FOR ESTAFA
BACOLOD CITY: A man claiming to be an agent of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) was arrested by legitimate operatives at Luisa Medel National High School in Barangay Tangub here. Police identified the suspect as Michael James Vargas, 29, Greenplains Subdivision, Barangay Singcang-Airport. Senior Police Officer 3 Ramiro Gocotano, CIDG-Bacolod chief field investigator, said Joseph Yanson and Mariel Takamatsu, filed a complaint against Vargas, who allegedly introduced himself as CIDG operative with the rank of Senior Police Officer 4. Yanson claimed Vargas borrowed P170,000 cash from him, but failed to pay back. Vargas also used the name of former CIDG-Negros chief, Chief Insp. Ariel Artillero, claiming he was ordered by the latter to borrow P50,000 from Yanson. Takamatsu, also claimed Vargas rented her vehicle, but did not pay the rental after 41 days. Vargas was arrested through the Global Positioning System beacon in the vehicle he rented from Takamatsu. Vargas is facing two counts of estafa and usurpation of authority.